Elmarko Jackson

Jackson’s combination of size, power, and speed is elite. He gets downhill as well as any guard in the national class, not just in the open floor where he has a head of steam, but in the half-court as well with his ability to turn the corner on a ball-screen. He initiates contact, draws a ton of fouls, and will even elongate his strides going through the lane to gain separation from his defender. Defensively, he can impose his will as well, both picking up the ball for the length of the floor and guarding multiple positions. The biggest growth in Jackson’s game is in his decision-making ability. A year ago, his entire attack was built around sheer force. Now, he has learned how to vary his speeds and pick his spots. His ability to see the floor and make reads off ball-screens has improved dramatically and become a true weapon. In short, he has become a true point guard, making his physical gifts all the more valuable at that position. He is willing to take defenders into the post and has made strides with his pull-up game, but is still not yet a totally reliable three-point shooter as he leans back into a release that comes from his deep shoulder. He rarely looks for the three and will often attack the gap of a short close-out in order to get downhill, rather than step into his shot. Jackson needs the ball in his hands to be at his best, both because opposing help-side defenders will be able to help off him and because he will have to learn how to play without the ball after having been the focal point of every offense he’s been in to this point. More subtly, while he can really move his feet defensively, he could stand to play lower to the ground. While he is an explosive vertical athlete, he could stand to develop a little more craft as a finisher on the rare occasion when he can’t rely on his physical tools alone.